CHENNAI: Despite continuous reportage, the illegal dumping of medical waste continues unabated in the Chennai outskirts. On Sunday, around 50 syringes were found dumped in Vandalur, close to the Outer Ring Road.
A month ago, sacks of surgical gloves were found dumped in the same location. A week ago, expired medicines, used for fertility treatment and hormone replacement, were found dumped here.
This comes just a week after the Southern Zone of the National Green Tribunal asked the state pollution control board to form a committee to stop the dumping of medical waste in the suburban areas. While officials organised a cleanup of the area after an Express report on November 27, medical waste dumping continues there unabated.
The problem is not just limited to Vandalur. Such cases have also been reported in Ankaputhur, Tiruneermalai, and Kundrathur. Local activist Pughalventhan V, who found such occurrences in the past, found the used syringes at the same spot on Sunday. He said that the syringes had their needles intact.
“This spot is used actively as a garbage dumping site even by the local Panchayat. Until the entire area is cleaned up, dumping of all kinds of waste will continue. I have seen panchayat garbage trucks dumping waste here, regularly,” said Pughal. “Officials clean up the area as soon as media reports the matter. Then dumping continues. There is no permanent solution.”
Pughal says action must be taken to create awareness among small clinics and hospitals in these localities about safe disposal of waste. A senior official from the state pollution control board said that the committee mandated by the NGT is yet to be formed, and concerned departments are working on it.
“We need to coordinate with the local Panchayat and drug control department to form the committee. But by next week we will start the inspection. Pollution control board official from Kancheepuram division will see to that these syringes are removed immediately,” added the official.
Moreover, a few kilometres away along the service road connecting Kovur and Ankaputhur, he found close to 100 boxes of expired hair dye and facial cream boxes. This was the same spot were expired medicine tubes were found a month ago. "After such reports surface in the media, authorities clean the area but no permanent measure is taken. Firstly, small scaled clinics and hospitals in these localities must be sensitized about safe and proper disposal of medical waste," he added.
Apart from biomedical waste, garbage dumping in and around Tiruneermalai quarry has also rapidly increased. Locals who use water stagnant in this quarry worry that their waste source will get polluted beyond use if such dumping isn't stopped. "Metro rail continues to dump construction waste into the quarry, right into the water. Now garbage dumping has started too. As this happens in the night we are not able to catch the offenders," said Kannan, a resident who works at the quarry.